Technologies
& Techniques
Digital Convergence with Flexo
Hybrid inkjet Technology Bridges the Process gap
By sheila nysko and Kristof Dekeukelaere
They say that anything that can be digital, will be digital.
Packaging alone seems to buck that trend. As one
pundit once put it, “You can’t e-mail a Snickers. ” But
while product packaging may never shed its analog coil, the
printing process is another animal altogether.
Today we know that there are different kinds of presses—
screen, offset, flexo, etc. For all their differences, the one
thing all the known processes have in common is putting ink
on substrates. Regardless of process, printing presses have
been designed specifically to handle and print on a variety of
these materials. Digital printing’s greatest limitation to date
has been its ability to effectively handle a large enough gamut
of printable materials at production speeds and competitive
price points to meet industry requirements.
Now, though, there is a convergence happening. We are
calling them modular hybrid inkjet presses. Modular hybrid
inkjet technology allows you to take any kind of substrate and
print on it. This is the result of combining inkjet stations with
a press design that can handle anything from thin films nor-
mally suited to flexo, to board stocks for which offset is often
preferred, and run it all on one machine.
A HAppy MArriAge
The whole printing industry has been about developing
presses that allow you to be able to print on all different types
of materials. The press frames and the plates were built
around that. But today ’s inkjet inks are far more capable of
adhering to almost any substrate. Combine that with versatile
material handling capabilities, productivity, color accuracy
and economics, and you have the future of printing.
This is not the traditional digital or inkjet press. The ma-
chine starts with a flexo packaging press frame of 25.6in., and
then builds in up to either four or six inkjet stations. Unlike
other digital or inkjet presses, this is not exclusive for ultra-
short runs (5,000 units or less). While it is effective for short run
lengths, it is also affordable for medium runs, up to 50,000ft.
Modular hybrid inkjet technology eliminates the need for
making and mounting plates, yet still utilizes six colors. The
plateless, digital format is effective for regionalization, sea-
sonal changes and similar such markets. In fact, if desired,
every single unit that rolls off the press could be unique and
personalized. It is the best of both worlds.
The biggest advantage is flexibility, though. Specialized
metallized inks, screen print, foil stamping and other features
are available as a result of modular print decks. Even tradi-
tional flexo print decks are an option.
CoMing TrenDs
Make no mistake. This is a disruptive technology. All new
technologies are disruptive, though. They change the way
we think—not all at once, but over time. Still, this will never
replace the industry as you and I know it today. That’s why we
call it a convergence. It is designed for specific types of ap-
plications and for situations that make good business sense.
Hybrid inkjet technology offers benefits for versioning, fast
turnarounds, no-inventory type business and the demand in
all these areas are growing.
One of the drivers of digital printing is shorter runs.
The private label industry as a whole is a growing area
of packaging, and this adds to the increased demand for
shorter order quantities. In addition, product categories are
growing. For example, go into the supermarket and look
at Tropicana. There you’ll see an entire wall with 15 differ-
ent types of orange juice—some pulp, a lot of pulp, with or
without calcium, etc.
There’s also language variation. Toronto is far more diverse
than some of us in the U.S. realize. And we all know the U.S. is
going down that route as well. There is also a growing impor-
tance of inventory management, whereby companies do not
want to maintain large inventories, yet must have necessary
product quantities available at a moment’s notice.
All of that means shorter make readies, less platemaking
and more efficiency. This has already happened in commer-
cial and label industries. But, packaging has struggled with
this, largely due to the variety of substrates and the number of
colors typically needed for a job, as well as brand colors and
low migration inks for food package printing.
JusT THe Beginning
Modular hybrid inkjet printing is no longer in its infancy.
The highest speeds possible are up to 13,013sq.ft an hour, or
105 linear feet per minute (fpm), depending on ink density,
but 80fpm is more common. Another drawback is the cost
of the inks, which are somewhat more expensive than most
flexo inks. At the same time, plates are not required, along
with other savings, so the technology is competitive for many
applications and scenarios.
So while this is certainly a game-changing innovation,
people are not about to start throwing out their flexo presses.
Modular hybrid inkjet technology is starting out disruptive, but
is ultimately an augmenting technology. As is often seen in la-
• Print on most substrates.
• No plates.
• Six-color digital inkjet heads.
• Modular: emboss, foiling, screen or flexo stations are
possible.
74
FLeXO
sePTemBer
2010 www.flexography.org
modular hybrid inkjet
technology combines
all the flexibility of flexo
printing with plateless
digital inkjet capabilities.
Photo by Victorio loubriel,
nYCity media.
FLX_Sept2010_mech.indd 74
8/31/10 5:42 PM